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Circular 325 May 1962

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Circular 325 May 1962 .- ~ .. Cooperative Extension Service • l.' New Mexico State University ., • '1. "! A ~ -a ... ',.., ' .. ...'--1¥- ' • .. ·/· . ~ · . / .·' ;>'"/..-- Chile View Prized in New Mexico as a condiment for 3 50 years, chile is now valued for its vitamin content as well as the flavor it imparts to foods. Through years of research, New Mexico State University's Agricultural Experiment Station personnel have developed chile varieties of highest qualities and revealed the vitamin-rich content of this popular vegetable. There has long been a need for a summary of this information in one publication, along with recipes, for those who have not yet acquired the chile habit. I hope that you enjoy the "chile view" of history, that the research findings prove informative, that the marketing information is helpful to you, and that you get new ideas for additional uses of this versatile vege­ table. This circular has been published and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the Cooperative Extension Service of New Mexico State University, P. J. Leyendecker, director, and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. //// Sneed -=~ Specialist // tn Food Marketing. -.w===::'i::"""-lnformation A New Mexico Pioneer Beginning with the entrance of Don Juan de Oiiate into New Mexico in 1598, the building blocks of the state's history have been well laced with chile. Prior to the coming of the Spaniards, the vegetable was not grown in what is now the United States. Chile is the Spanish adaptation of chilli, the Aztec name for the plant. The term now includes varieties of Capsicum Frutescens. Columbus found the Indians of the West Indies growing fiery varieties of the plant. Because of its pungency he called it "pepper," although it is unrelated to Piper nigrum, the shrub that produces black pepper. Chile actually be­ longs to the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes and potatoes. Spices, primarily from the East Indies, were of immense commercial value in Spain. So it is easily understood why pungent chife was an important find for Columbus and his men. Chile quickly made its way into historical records. In 1493, Peter Martyr wrote that Columbus brought home with him "pepper more pun­ gent than that from the Caucasus." Twenty-five years later it was de­ scribed in detail by another Spanish explorer. Chile had traveled to Eng­ land by 1548 and into Central Europe by 1585. By 1550, chile had been found growing in many of the tropical areas of the New World besides the West Indies-in Central America, Mexico, Peru, and Chile-and by 1600, many types known today had been grown by the Indians. Though a perennial in its native habitat of tropical America, chile grows as an annual in temperate zones. And it grows only under irriga­ tion in New Mexico. Back in 1600, chile was grown successfully under irrigation, as were Spanish wheat and Indian corn, along the Rio Chama. Chile had become important to the territory by 1863, according to the following quotation from the Rio Abajo Press of February 2: "Congress takes fifty-thousand dollars out of the pockets of the people of the United States to make us good roads for intercommunication and the ttansporta;-­ tion of chile colorado to market." Remember, in 1863 the people of the United States were waging a war against the seceding Southern states, and $50,000 represented much more in the labor and materials of road building than it does today. Fifty Years of Chile Research It all started back in 1907, when Fabian Garcia selected and planted the seeds of three varieties of chile. The search was on for a better chile for New Mexico. There have been highs and lows of intensity during the 50 years of research, but the goal has remained clear and distinct-larger, smoother, thicker-meated, shoulderless pods of chile. The native chile grown 50 ·years ago was exceedingly variable and of poor grade. Dr. Garcia-then horticulturist, later director of the New Mexico State University Agricultural Experiment Station-started the long search for a more acceptable product with chile colorado, chile negro, and chile pasilla. Fourteen strains of the three varieties were selected from the 1907 plantings for the test plots. Some years of chile research were discouraging-many plants were lost to wilt. In fact, this disease claimed 95 per cent of the plants of 1912. Ten years passed and one by one the less promising strains were eliminated until only one, No. 9, was left. No. 9 had most nearly met the standards set by Dr. Garcia in field tests at the University and on the farms of cooperators over the state. The characteristics of the new strain had been fairly well established. No. 9 was producing pods that were large, smooth, fleshy, and shoulderless at the stem end. Though considered pungent by Dr. Garcia, No. 9 was less pungent than the unimproved native varieties. And though resistance to wilt had not been "a major objective in this research, the new strain was proving more resistant to the disease than any variety or strain known at that time. Letters of praise and requests for seed poured in from all areas of the state. Some requests were from commercial producers, s~e were for family use, but all were for No. 9. This variety became famous in the chile-producing areas of the United States and Mexico as College No. 9. -2- Varieties Developed to Meet Popular Demand Some people like their chile pungent; some less pungent. College No. 9, pungent when grown in the southern areas of the state, proved to be quite mild when grown in the cooler northern counties. It also needed a long growing season. In the northern counties, No. 9 seed had to be started in cold frames and transplanted to produce and ripen before frost. Again the search was on for a chile that met the flavor and pungency requirements of the people in the northern areas, as well as the growing conditions. The new varieties developed didn't "just happen," but were the result of careful planning and selection. For instance, there's Rio Grande-medium in pungency, a popular variety in the Hatch area, and excellent as a mild green chile in the Albuquerque area. Sandia A and B, were carefully selected for their esters or oils to give the flavor and pungency the people of Bernalillo and Sandoval counties demand. Sandia A develops earlier, has a shorter pod and a high degree of pungency. Sandia B has a flavor very similar to unimproved native chile. Though of the same cross as A, B is even more pungent, in some areas, has larger pods, and dries more easily. Both are prolific and mature early. Research continues to improve Sandia B. Another variety of chile developed by NMSU Experiment Station horticulturists is College No. 6 and its strains. Again, No. 6, like No. 9, acceptable when grown in the southern area, is too mild for many people when grown in the cooler areas. Also, when grown in rich soils and with ample irrigation, No. 6 is quite mild. Early maturing, high yielding, and thick fleshed, it is popular with commercial canners. -3- --..,------ Chile Is Rich in Vitamins A and C The crisp color of fresh green chile, or the rich, red brilliance of the ripe pods, adding interest and flavor to foods, seem value enough in them­ selves. But chile gives all this and more-it is a rich source of vitamins A and C. In New Mexico, where chile is eaten in quantities by all ages, this vitamin-packed quality is of great significance. As the pods mature and ripen, the carotene (vitamin A) content increases, reaching its highest values in the ripe, fresh peppers. Canned or frozen green and red chile retains most of the carotene content. Red chile retains most of its carotene content after being dried. The ascorbic acid (vitamin C) story differs from that of vitamin A. This vitamin is affected by heat and oxidation. Chile grows richer in this valuable vitamin as the season advances. Research has shown that gre~ chile gathered in October contains more ascorbic acid than that gathered in August. The highest values are often found in the pods gathered just before they ripen. Canned and frozen chile retains about two-thirds of its ascorbic acid content. \ Red chile loses its vitamin C when dried, regardless of the method }\ ( used. -4- Chile Sells In Several Forms The landscape, accented by the brilliant red of chile drying in the sun, is a picture long remembered by natives and visitors alike. No other scene is more typically New Mexican, whether the ripe pods are hang­ ing in ristras from the eaves of the home, spread in huge sheets on the ground, or on drying sheds. But weeks before the pods ripen, green chile is ready for the market. Southern areas of the state may have it ready in mid- or late July, other areas later. During the months when New Mexico farmers aren't pro­ ducing fresh chile, it is imported from Mexico, Florida, Texas, and Cal- ~~- ) ( Chile-fresh, canned, dried, and frozen-is a staple in all groceries. 'tn addition, it is offered in sauces, frozen combination dishes, and Mexi­ can-type dinners. Many farmers sell fresh green and ripe chile in season, followed by the dried product-whole or powdered-at their roadside stands. Both fresh and dried chile commonly sell by the pound. The price of fresh chile falls rapidly during the few weeks of peak production from the luxury tags of off-season months.
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